Friday, September 23, 2011

Microwave Escalloped Pears and Cranberries

A fast and delicious twist on the well-known apple dish. Zapped up in the microwave in minutes, it will quickly become a family favorite. This dish is a wonderful accompaniment to pork or poultry. Pears are a great source of fiber and vitamin C and they are in season right now! I really love how much fiber pears pack!

I served the dish as a side to some roasted turkey and green beans with cherry tomatoes, but it can also be a wonderful dessert dish served warm and topped with vanilla frozen yogurt! Mix some into some plain Greek yogurt for a yummy snack or how about a topping for your oatmeal in the morning? The possibilities are many.! It is best eaten warm, but it is also delicious cold too!

1/2 tsp. ground ginger ( you can use less if you aren't a fan of ginger, but ginger and pears work so well together and I love the bit of bite the ginger gives this dish)

2 TBS. brown sugar

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 TBS. cornstarch, dissolved in a little bit of water

Directions:

1. In a microwavable container with a lid ( I used a Pyrex dish with a glass lid ), combine the pears, spices, sugar and cranberries. Cover and microwave on HIGH for approx. 4 -5 minutes*, or until the pears are soft and the juices have combined with the sugar to form a syrup. Stir halfway through cook time.

2. Add the dissolved cornstarch and stir and return to microwave on HIGH for another 30 seconds to 1 minute to thicken juices into a sauce. Let stand, covered for a few minutes before serving.

* Microwaves cook at different speeds depending on the wattage...you may find your microwave takes more or less time than stated.

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Oh boy! Was this ever good!! I loved the pears and the ginger together and the microwave plumps up the cranberries so nicely! It was perfect with the roasted turkey breast! I believe you could substitute apples for the pears, if you like. You may need to adjust cook times according to what variety of apple you use.

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I'm not a huge fan of raisins...but if you like them...I think they would be wonderful with apples. Just adjust the cooking time according to the type of apple you have...McIntosh will take hardly no time..but granny smith will take more..then come back and tell me how it is! :)